Moscow Metro
Moscow's Post-Apocalyptic Metro System, alluded to as the Last Refuge, and known in-universe as The Metro, is the central location of the Metro Series. Overview An apocalyptic war on a grand scale has devastated the surface of the Earth, leaving deadly radiation and biological weapons that have changed fauna into dangerous mutants. The Moscow Metro, which was planned from the beginning to be a giant underground air-raid shelter, became the last refuge of humanity. The tunnels are a source of constant dangers - radiation, mental threats and mutant predators take the lives of the many brave people who venture between stations to trade or travel for other purposes. Population In the opening intro scene of the game, Artyom states that 40,000 people are currently living at the Metro. The novel doesn't specify any exact numbers of Metro inhabitants, estimating the whole population at "several thousands". In a note in Metro Last Light, Artyom states that less than 50,000 people of the original 200,000 people are still alive in the Metro. Health and Medical Care Due to high danger and constant lack of medical supplies and doctors, medical care is strictly related to each station's prosperity. Although most of the stations try to maintain basic needs such as arranging small field hospitals and marking out places to leave corpses. While little to no medical care is established at some minor stations, some major station's hospitals are well equipped with properly taught medical personnel. Other known facilities appearing at such stations are public baths opened for general use. When an pestilence breaks out at any of the stations, the place is sealed for further notice. When there is no cure found, the station's inhabitants are annihilated and their bodies as well as all their belongings are burned down with Flamethrowers. Medkits are in widespread use in the Metro 2033 video game and are used by the player to accelerate the healing process. The Metro tunnels rarely have lighting, and many small stations have little more than candles to light them - this lack of light has led to Metro dweller's eyes becoming weak and unaccustomed to light. For example, in the Metro 2033 novel , Artyom , upon arriving at the richer, well lit Polis , is forced to wear sunglasses to protect his eyes. Stalkers also struggle on the surface, and generally only travel at night to lessen the risk of being blinded by the sun. It can also be presumed that people in the Metro have vitamin deficiencies from lack of light, leading to the high demand and price for supplements. Food, Drink, and Drugs The most common foods eaten by Metro inhabitants are rats and moss. More luxurious forms of food are mushrooms and pork, both grown on underground farms, while the rarest are vegetables like potatoes or tomatoes (in Metro 2034 it is revealed that these are grown in hydroponic greenhouses). Also any types of diet supplements, such as vitamins, are highly desired. The most common drink is filtered, boiled water, however many citizens enjoy other drinks; VDNKh's mushroom tea is considered luxurious, while home-made beer and Shroom Vodka are mostly obtained in canteens, bars and restaurants. The rarest and most expensive beverages are the ones recovered from the surface by Stalkers (one notable example being whiskey). Drugs in the Metro Universe are no uncommon sight. In the Metro videogames, there are a number of hookahs that can be found in bars or in various bandit controlled stations, and some inhabitants of the metro smoke what could be assumed as tobacco. In the novel this is further exemplified by Artyom's narration dropping hints about his own recreational use of marijuana, though, much like in real life, it is still considered taboo by many. Political System In this unforgiving world, over 20 years have passed, and the Metro stations of Moscow have become independent states, forming confederations and alliances, even fighting wars, and trading, among other things. Of significant note are the stations of the ring line and Polis, the heart of the metro. During the first years, a de-facto government was created but quickly failed leading to the various stations. The leaders of the stations are generally people who were in positions of power before the war - military leaders, politicians and so on. One reverred kind of person are those who worked and ran the Metro system, as they know the tunnels and stations well; these conductors and technicians became very powerful, treated almost like living Gods. Main political factions *The Rangers of the Order, the elite soldiers and protectors of the Metro. *Hanseatic League, a plutocratic trade ring. *Red Line, an Soviet-style communist group centered on the red subway line. *Fourth Reich, a neo-nazi group controlling three stations.(possibly a whole subway line) *VDNKh Commonwealth, home of Artyom and the starting place of the Metro series. Economics With money becoming difficult to locate and maintain it lost all purpose. Instead military-grade 5.45x39mm cartridges became the new currency in the Metro System, being common and difficult to conterfit. Trade between stations is common, the most popular of goods being food, including the aforementioned mushrooms, and pigs. The Hanseatic League has grown extremely wealthy from the fact that they control the radial line of the Metro, a vital trade route. Dangers Though it may be the last refuge for humanity, Moscow's irradiated metro is just as deadly as the surface. The metro is also home to vicious, territorial, and often downright dangerous mutants and new mysterious and supernatural phenomena that threaten the lives of those in the tunnels every day. As if factions rampant with wild ideologies, mutants, and anomalies of a physical, mental, or radioactive nature weren't enough, the tunnels are equally full of bandits, who are often depicted in delight of the theft, torture, and rape of other metro survivors. Areas Available here is a scheme of the post-apocalyptic Moscow metro system with further explanations. Metro map For a list and detailed information about areas in the game go to the Levels article. Likewise, the Locations article contains links to other locations. Post-Apocalyptic Metro Map.gif|The novel rendition of the map. VGMetroMapMkI.jpg|The videogame rendition of the map. Metro map d6.jpg|The in-universe rendition of the map as found in D6. Trivia *There are numerous references throughout the Metro canon that there are other survivors elsewhere in Russia and the world, but since there is no definitive evidence, many Metro dwellers consider the Metro the whole world, and the ends of the line the literal ends of the world. ** Many Metro denizens originally believed that the Russian government had fled to secret bunkers behind the Ural Mountains during the war, and that they would soon be in contact with them to re-establish control. However, once it was clear no rescue was coming, few hoped anymore. ** In the Metro 2033 novel , it is mentioned that not long after the war, there was radio contact with a tank of the Russian military that survived thanks to radiation shielding. After awhile of traveling and collecting survivors It eventually ran out of fuel so stopped and a little village grew around it. However, after a few years, contact was lost. ** In Metro 2034 it is heavily implied that Moscow's metro system is not the only place where people survived the nuclear holocaust. It had been stated that for a few years all the remaining inhabited places had communication with each other. Unfortunately as their power source grew weaker their radio signal got lost making Moscow's metro system inhabitants believe that they are the only survivors left. Other Metro systems mentioned include St. Petersburg and Minsk. ** Similarly, according to the Metro Universe book series, people in many different places of the world have persevered - even Britain, Italy and Ukraine, among others. ** In Metro: Last Light , it is mentioned by one character that they were once in connection with the St. Petersburg Metro, but lost contact after a while, though the other does not believe him. * According to Hunter in the novel and a VDNKh resident the people of the metro won't be able to go back to the surface (without the aid of radiation suits or gas masks) until about nearly fifty more years after 2033, meaning the surface could be radiation-free in 2083, about seventy years after the Great War of 2013. Category:World Category:Locations